CD REVIEW
– VERY
BEST OF BRITISH BRASS
alto Take:2 ALN
1984 [79:36]
Back in the day
the name of Harry Mortimer OBE
CBE (1902-92) was synonymous with
British brass band music. He was
given his first cornet at seven
and his great playing ability led
to putting him at the top of his
profession – the Louis
Armstrong of the brass band
world. He played principal
trumpet with the Hallé Orchestra
for 11 years until 1941. Five
years earlier he was appointed
musical director of the Williams
Fairey Brass Band, continuing
until 1971. He became
professional conductor of the
world-famous Black Dyke Mills
Band and led them to their three
consecutive National Championship
victories in the late 1940s, as
well as continuing to be involved
in many other brass band
activities.
For this
budget-priced release he conducts
nine tracks from the Massed Bands
of Foden's, Fairy Aviation &
Morris Motors, on a LP originally
issued by Decca. As well as the
first four tracks listed on the
booklet's front cover there is Three
of a Kind, Trumpet
Voluntary, Heykens’
Serenade, Trombones to
the Fore and Marching
Trumpets.
The next three
tracks – The Faithfull
Hussar, When Johnny
Comes Marching Home and Sousa
on Parade – come from
an EMI disc featuring Mortimer
with his All-Star Brass, which
was a 50-piece concert band taken
from Fairey's, Foden's, GUS and
Morris Bands.
Following on: 'Hymns
with Grimethorpe Colliery Band'
conducted by George Thompson LGSM
BBCM was originally issued by
Pye. There are ten tracks
including Nearer My God to
Thee, The Lord's My
Shepherd, Abide with Me,
The Old Rugged Cross, The
Day Thou Gavest, Guide
Me O Thou Great Redeemer and
All People that on Earth do
Dwell.
The final five
tracks, also from an EMI disc,
are played by the Black Dyke
Mills Band, the conducting shared
between Geoffrey Witham, a noted
solo euphonium player, and Major
C H Jaeger, ex-Director of Music
for the Irish Guards. The pieces
are Spanish Harlequin, Carnival
of Venice with the solo
cornet of Jim Shepherd, Orpheus
in the Underworld, J Strauss
II's Thunder and Lightning
Polka and Sullivan's The
Mikado - Selection.
It is a pleasure
to bring to readers attention a
genre of light music that we have
almost ignored up until now. And
it is very much what it says on
the tin. There is no indication
in the booklet who wrote the
highly informative notes.
Included is a short list of other
albums from this creative company
that might be of interest.
Exploring www.altocd.com will also bring
its own reward.
© Peter
Burt 2022
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